Automatic fluid cut-off for oil wells



June 8 1926.

C. E. FRAZIER -AUTOMATIC FLUID CUT-OFF FOR OIL WELLS Filed March 6, 1924 Patented June 8, i926.

UNITED STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. FRAZIER, F CASPER, WYOMING, ASSIGNOR TO GUIBERSON CORPORA- TION, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

AUTOMATIC FLUID CUT-OFF FOR OIL WELLS.

Application filed March 6, 1924. Serial No. 697,185.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic fluid cut-offs for oil wells and pertains to another method of accomplishing the same results as are set forth in my co -pending application Serial No. 697,184, filed March 6, 1924. V

The percentage of oil recovered from oil wells in many districts is extremely low and this is largely due to paraffining of the oil bearing sand, which latter results from the action of air and hydrocarbon gases coming into contact with the walls of the well.

When a well is pumped the sand has a tendency to agitate and cone. It. is desirable to hold the sand as dormant as'possible and to flood it, by. maintaining a level of oil in the bottom of the well and pumping from the reservoir of oil and thus maintaining a level.

Advantages of maintaining a level in the well are, the prevention of coning the sand, a greater recovery, less parafining of the sand and tubing, and less cutting of the cups and pump plunger.

The object of the invention is to provide means for attachment to the working barrel of a line of tubing for controlling the pumping of oil by means of float operated mechanism, whereby the pump plunger is automatically caused to cease functioning when the oil in the well drops to a predetermined level, but is restored to normal functioning when the oil rises.

A further object is to provide a by-pass connecting the working barrel above and below the stroke of the plunger, which carries the working barrel and a float operated valve opening the bypass when the oillevel falls, said by-pass being normally closed A still further object is to provide means whereby the oil is pumped direct from a column of oil standing in the tubing supplied from a reservoir surrounding the tubing and not direct from the sand.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from areading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanyng drawings, in which an example of the invention 1s shown, and wherein Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a 1 device constructed in accordance with my inventlon and in position at the bottom of a cased well.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates the working barrel at the bottom of a string of tubing and 11 thewell casing. In the bottom of the barrel is the usual standing valve 12 controlling theflow of oil into the barrel. The usual sucker rod 13 carries a plunger let at its lower end and has a work- 7 ing valve 15. These parts are standard and are in common use. I

In carrying out my invention I provide a bypass tube or connection 16 communicating with the barrel above the upper end of the plunger stroke, by a port 17 A port 18 establishes connection between the lower end of the vertical tube and working barrel, below the lower end of the plunger stroke, but above the standing valve. It will be seen that if the bypass tube 16 is openthe reciprocation of the plunger will merely force the oil up and down through the tube, instead of elevating it in the tubing; and on the down stroke of the plunger there will be no pressure on the standing valve, so that oil may freely enter through the valve while the by-pass is open.

The by-pass must be normally closed so that the plunger will function. For this purpose I provide a valve in the tube 16 which may be of any suitable type. I have shown a sleeve valve 19 slidable in the tube across the port 17 This valve hasan open top 20 through which the oil may pass when the port 17v is uncovered. This valve is raised and lowered by a vertical rod 21 passing through a verticalconduit 22 connecting the top of the by-pass tube 16 with the bottom of a jacket 23 suspended on a collar 25 fastened on the working barrel. The acket surrounds the barrel and encloses a cylindrical float 24 slidable on the barrel. The bottom of the jacket is open to admit oil to sustain the float.

The downward movement of the float is limited by a plu al y of ha ns 26 susp d from the collar and attached to the top off the float. The float is fastened atrits bottom to the rod 21. As the float rises and falls with the level of the oil, the VHlVQ 19. i caused to cover and uncover the port 17.

Under normal conditions the oil in the I well is at high level and'the float 24 is at its upper posit-ion, whereby the valve 19 is elevated and the port 17"is closed, the barrel being filled with oil. The plunger will function normally, the working valve opening on the down stroke and the standing valve being closed; Upon the up stroke the working valve, is closed and the plunger thus elevates the oil, the standing valve being opened to admit oil.

Should the level of the oil fall sufiiciently to lower the valve 19 enoughto uncover the port 17 the plunger upon its up stroke will force" the oil through the port 17 down through the by-pass tube 16 and through the port 18 into] the barrel 10 below the plunger, instead ofelevating the oil in the barrel. On the down stroke of the plunger the oil will be displaced into the tube 1e01- pass up through the valve 15. During both the up and down stroke the standing valve will be free to admit oil, but at no time will the standing'valvebe opened by the suction of the plunger'and therefore the oil in the well will not be lowered sufficiently to expose the sands.

The use of my invention prevents agitation of the sands as well as preventing the drawing of the'sand into the tubing. The oil floods the sand and the-usual air and gas action, which tends to paraffin, is reduced to a minimum. The jacket 23 protects the float in rising and lowering the barrel 1O 7 in the well.

, By flooding the oil sands thus keeping them covered with a column of oil said sands are not exposed to the air or gas and therefore do not cool below the temperature of the oil. This tends to avoid parailining,

which is caused by the cooling oil of the sands. It is pointed out that when the bypass is opened the standing valve is practically closed as it will not 'be lifted by the action of the plunger.

Various changes in. the size and shape of the difierent parts as well as modifications and alterations may be made within the scope" of the appended claims.

hat I claim, is

1. In an automatic fluid cut-off for oil wells, a working barrel through which the oil is elevated, a plunger in the barrel, a by pass connecting the barrel above and below the plunger, and means disposed in communciation with the oil supply for said barrel and automatically operated by the oil level in the well for opening and closing said by-pass.

2. In an automatic fluid cut-oil for oil wells, a working barrel .throughwhich the oil is elevated, a plunger in the barrel, a by-pass connecting the barrel above and below the plunger, and 'mea-ns disposed in communication with" the oil supply for said barrel and controlled by the level of the oil in the well for opening the bypass when the oil in the well is lowered to a predetermined level.

3. In, an automatic fluid cut-'ofl for oil wells, a working barrel, a plunger working in said barrel, a standing valve at the bottom of the barrel, a by-pass connecting the barrel above and below the plun'ger, a valve for opening and closing the by-pass, and a float directly connected to said valve and disposed in communication with the oil supply for said barrel and automatically operated by the oil level in the well for opening and closing said by-pass.

4. In. an automatic fluid cut-off for oil wells, a working barrel, a plunger working in said barrel, a standing valve at the bottom of the barrel, a by-pass connecting the barrel above and below thev plunger, and a float and connected valve controlled by the level of the oil in the well for openingthe by-pass and preventing the drawing of oil into the barrel through the standing valve ivhen the oil is lowered to a predetermined evel.

5; In an automatic fluid cut-ofl for oil wells, a working barrel, a plunger working in said barrel, a standing valve at the bottom of the barrel, a by-pass connecting the barrel above and below the plunger, avalve for opening and closing said by-pass, and means for operating said valve slidingly mounted upon the barrel in communication with the oil supply therefor and automatically operated by the oil level for opening'and closing said by-pass.

6. In an automatic fluid cut-ofl' for oil wells, a working barrel, a plunger working in said barrel, a standing valve in the lower end of the barrel, a parallel by-pass tube having its ends connected with the barrel above and below the plunger, a valve operable parallel to the plunger forinterrupting the passage of fluid through said tube, and a float connected with the valve for operating the same.

7. In an automatic fluid cut-ofi' for oil wells, a working'barrel, a plunger working in said barrel, a standing valve in the lower end of the barrel, a parallel by-pass tube having its ends connected with the barrel above and below the plunger, a valve operable parallel to the plunger for interrupting the passage of fluid through said tube, a float disposed 'in communication with the oil supply and directly connected with the valve for operating the same, and means for limiting the downward movement of the float. v

8. In an automatic fluid cut-off for oil Wells, a vertical working barrel having a standing valve at its lower end, a plunger 19 working in the barrel, a vertical by-pass tube having its ends connected with the barrel above and below the plunger, a valve working in the bypass tube parallel to the plunger, a float slidable on the barrel above the valve and connected with the valve by depending rods, and a jacket enclosing the float.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES E. FRAZIER. 

